Create A Scene!

When I read on my friend Olga's blog about a new challenge blog called Craft a Scene, I visited them to see what it was all about. Sounds fun! The first challenge is create a scene and anything goes! I immediately thought of this technique and decided to play along and I had a fun inky afternoon yesterday! This beach scene technique I learned from Kathy of Seaside Stampin' Ink this past summer when they were here for the Stamp Scrap Art Tour.

Seaside Stampin' Ink has a youtube video with all the instructions for this technique. Okay, the instructions say to use dye ink refillers. Hmph, I dont have any colors. Guess I'm lucky I got juicy pads to start with. I'm sure I'll need refillers soon as I stamp all the time! Alright...what to do? Make do with what ya' got is what I always say! So I played and experimented with Adirondack Alcohol inks and with Distress Stains. I had used the stamps in other applications, but had not tried to repeat the inky technique in a long while. I was on a learning curve and decided to share all my results. Well all but one... it was just a big silver blob.

Things you will need: Watch the Seaside Stampin' Ink's video for the details.

Rubber stamps: All images are Seaside Stampin' Ink except for the silhouette seagulls are by Just For Fun Stamps. All stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

Other: Seaside Stampin' Inks Kromekote Glossy cardstock, Krylon Silver Leaf Pen, 91% Isopropyl Alcohol (just regular rubbing alcohol from drugstore or Walmart), inks, felt blotters, and saran wrap.

Prepare to get inky! And have fun!

The color inks I used for these samples are as follows: Adirondack Alcohol ink = Butterscotch for the sand, Sail Boat Blue for the water, and I mixed Stream with Sailboat Blue for & blotted heavily on scratch cardstock to fade it out for the sky. Distress Stains = Scattered Straw for sand, Faded Jeans for water, and Stormy Sky for the sky.

All of these are 5.5 x 4.25 inches on glossy. Final layered onto black Bazzill and light blue Bazzill 6 x 6 top fold card.

Attempt 1. All alcohol inks. Water was way too bright/dark and the sky too light and stamped the dunes too high

Attempt 2. All alcohol inks again. It is okay but I was not 100% happy...the water and sky are too similar.

Attempt 3. Sand and water are using alcohol inks and sky is Stain. Dunes were stamped wayyyy too high. So since it was not a keeper, I thought I'd try a bird in the sky, thinking the crane would look like a heron. Ha! Cranes will be cranes I guess. I really like the birds on the sand though.

Attempt #4. All alcohol inks again - trying to get good color. Just didn't get enough contrast between the ocean and the sky.

Attempt #5. Used all Stains on this one. I really liked it but, darn it, I stamped the word crooked!! arghhh! lol So since it was not a keeper, I stamped the flying seagull to see how it would look. Didnt like it with the big word. I like the big funky word better!

Attempt #6. Used all stain again! Finally had my finished image! (It's on the card I showed up top.) Oh, I learned with the stains that after blending the color with the Krylon initially, it will sort of bead up and to make it smooth, you have to wipe the area with a clean dry piece of felt. Gotta work fast before it dries, which is what happened to my ocean, but I like it because it looks like white capped waves out there.

And then somewhere early on in my inky fun, I tried the texture technique using sprays and saran wrap and got this funky psychedelic scene! I kinda like it... lol.

So go play with your inks!!